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Scenery + quilts + time to sew

This past week has been Spring Break from school for my kids. Since our family is on a bit of a National Park kick, we decided to hit another one this past week. (Did you know there are 5 National Parks in Utah? Well, there are.) This time we visited Capitol Reef National Park. (Normally I would try not to bore you all with the minutia of a family trip, but I figured the scenery was unique enough, it might be mildly interesting. So indulge me.)

There is a lot of history ancient and less-ancient at Capitol Reef. It was my first time visiting this area. The Southern Utah landscape is pretty dramatic with the red rocks, etc. As a kid I wasn’t a fan – or it just seemed to be ‘same-old, same-old’ when we went south. I overheard an older gentleman at the visitor’s center mention that you finally start to appreciate scenery like this when you get old. I guess I officially qualify for that category now.

In the middle of the park are the remnants of a little town that was there for a century, named Fruita because of the orchards that thrived there. The orchards still exist.

One of the homes also still exists, the Gifford House, and is open as a small museum.

(Check out the blossoms on that tree!)

This house was used mostly in the first half of the 20th Century, and was set up as it would have looked during that period, including old quilts. (So of course, I whipped out my camera for those.)

A ‘swoon’-y/carpenter’s wheel block.

They had a shop with fresh pies and breads and preserves and salsa made from the fruit from the orchards. Very vintage charming + delicious. A winning combination, if you ask me.

It was great to get away from the routines at home and see some new scenery in our own backyard. Well, three hours away, but you know what I mean. I didn’t bring a finished quilt for my husband to pose with on a precipice this time, but since no road trip is complete without a sewing project, I did manage some good hexie time in the car.

I love to see vacation pictures! It&#39;s a great way for me to travel for free! We actually went to that park on a whirl-wind trip through Utah and surrounding states when I was pregnant with our first son, well over a dozen years ago. We also saw Zion, Bryce, Escalante, Arches, and a few others on that trip (our last as &quot;DINKS). I&#39;m glad to see you got in a good quilt or 2 also! I

Thank you for sharing your road trip with us! It looks like you had a really good time, and the scenery is really beautiful. Would love to get down that way soon, before it gets too hot. I have been working on some hexies off and on myself. Maybe I need another road trip to get them done

Amy, don&#39;t ever apologize for showing your beautiful country off. For those of us who may never get to see it, it is a lovely way of travelling. That goes for all bloggers/quilters. We seem to have similar interests. The colours are superb. Thanks for your lovely blog. <br />Bev in Britain.

I love your vacation photos! Last summer we took a cross country trip and one of our destinations were Salt Lake City and Bryce Canyon. I have to say that I don&#39;t consider myself old (40), but just could not take my eyes off the red rocks Should I say I love orange? Love your hexies!

I&#39;ve always loved southern Utah red rocks and amazing canyons – even when I was a kid. Loved your photos of the little homestead. And your little hexis? Great project for the road. I blog about quilting at http://www.bring the monkey.com but can&#39;t seem to get into here using that. Oh well – still enjoy it here.

I agree with my fellow Brit, Bev, I would love to tour America, visiting Montana, Virgina, Utah and Colorado (sp?)<br /><br />I love the wide open spaces, travelling for 2 hrs to and from our holiday home tires me out so actually visiting isn&#39;t on the books for me. I can however visit via the beautiful photos fellow bloggers post.<br /><br />We live just on the edge of The Peak District, it

Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures Amy! I love Utah&#39;s parks. Sadly, I don&#39;t think I&#39;ve ever been to Capitol Reef. Bryce has been my favorite since I was a little girl. You&#39;re so lucky to have such beauty so close to you! (Love your cute little hexies!)

and I am a Northern Cascade Range girl, doing the snowbird thing in the winter, and looking for new places to see. We&#39;re putting this one on our list. Thanks for the tour. if you have more ideas for travel, leave a comment on my, um, inactive blog.

and I am a Northern Cascade Range girl, doing the snowbird thing in the winter, and looking for new places to see. We&#39;re putting this one on our list. Thanks for the tour. if you have more ideas for travel, leave a comment on my, um, inactive blog.

If you happened to drive through the town of Loa, that&#39;s where my parents live! I love Capitol Reef. My grandparents lived there in the house that is now my parents&#39;, and we spent summers there and drove to Fruita to pick apricots and peaches. Glad you got to experience it too!

Your holiday looks wonderful! We&#39;re bringing the kids over to the US for the first time in October, only Florida (Harry Potter!) but our plan is that if the driving isn&#39;t too radically different from the UK (or scary)we&#39;ll come back the year after and do some touring. There&#39;s so many places I&#39;d want to see, though don&#39;t know where I&#39;d start!

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